【国旗下讲话】当热爱遇上坚持

Honorable teachers and esteemed schoolmates, good morning. 

I am Xie Mingxi from Class 4, Grade 8. 

This summer vacation, I got a chance to participate in an English speech competition named “China Speaks!” and won the first place. Today, I would like to take this opportunity to share how my passion for English led me to the stage of the competition step by step.

When I was about five or six years old, I made a small decision: to read a ten-page English book every night. It was this habit that quietly planted a seed of love for English in my heart. My mother soon noticed my interest in it. She encouraged me to persist by finding more English books suitable for me. This opened a door to a new world for me— I could soar freely in an ocean of words, discover different stories, and encounter unique characters through another language. By the age of eight, I had finished reading the entire English-version Harry Potter series, which became my favorite in the long journey to come.

After entering The Middle School Attached to Sun Yat-Sen University, I joined the school's Speech and Debate Club. There, I met a group of people who shared the same passion for English. Every exchange of ideas with them enriched me greatly. It was through practicing and learning with these outstanding students that made my critical thinking and language skills improve greatly.

Then came this big speech competition. At the venue, many contestants were wonderfully experienced and confident. To be honest, I felt nervous at first. But when I stepped onto the stage, my mind calmed—because I knew I was not standing there alone. Behind me were years of reading, countless attempts and adjustments during club training, and, most importantly, the pure love for English that had accompanied me since childhood. When the results were announced, standing on the stage with the award in my hand, I became even more convinced: true success comes from genuine passion and the persistence dedicated to that passion.

Perhaps you too have something you truly love—it could be calligraphy, painting, music, or sports… Whatever it is, please believe that when you whole-heartedly invest and give, your moment will come—and when it does, even the stars will shine for you.

Thank you all for listening!

译文：当热爱遇上坚持

今年暑假，我参加了第25届“China Speaks!”中国区英语演讲比赛，并有幸获得冠军。今天，我想借这个机会，和大家分享我对英语的热爱如何一步步引领我走向大赛舞台。

大概在我五六岁的时候，我做了一个小小的决定：每天晚上坚持读一本十页左右的英文书。正是这个看似微不足道的习惯，悄悄在我心里埋下了一颗热爱英语的种子。我的妈妈很快注意到了我对英语的兴趣，不仅鼓励我坚持，还为我找来更多适合我阅读的英文书籍。这个习惯为我打开了一扇新世界的大门——我徜徉在英语世界的海洋里，也通过第二语言，读到了不一样的故事、认识了不一样的人物。八岁那年，我读完了《哈利·波特》英文原版全套。

来到中大附后，我报名参加了学校的演讲与辩论社团。在这里，我遇到了一群同样热爱英语的伙伴，每一次跟他们思想的交锋、观点的碰撞，都让我受益匪浅。正是在与这些优秀同龄人的切磋琢磨中，我的思辨能力和语言表达获得了前所未有的提升。

今年暑假，我报名参加了“China Speaks”国际英语演讲比赛。赛场上，许多选手经验非常丰富、充满自信。说心里话，我也曾暗自紧张。但当我真正站上演讲台，内心却渐渐平静下来——因为我知道，我不是孤身一人站在这里，背后是我多年来的阅读积累、一次次社团训练中的尝试与调整，更是那份从儿时便陪伴我的、对英语纯粹的热爱。结果公布的时候，我站在领奖台上，那一刻的光芒，让我更加相信：真正的成功，来自于内心真正的热爱，以及为这份热爱所付出的坚持。

同学们，也许你也有自己真正喜欢的事情——或许是书法、画画、音乐，或许是运动、编程、科学实验。无论那是什么，愿我们都能珍视这份内心的光，耐心浇灌，坚持付出。不必追求立刻被所有人看见，但请相信，当你真心投入、持续努力，属于你的那一刻终会到来——那时，群星也会为你而闪耀。